The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-13
He Thinks Commissioner Miller Responsible
for Keeping Republicans in Office, and
Relieves Cleveland of All Blame.
A Proposed Reform in the POstoffice
Department that Looks Businesslike.
Funds that Will Hereafter Be Disbursed on
Systematic Plan-First Step in the Dr.
rection of Making Citizens of Indians.
EB HENDERSON.
He Would Like to Give Democrats Offices,
but Will Not Interfere with His Chief.

He Would Like to Give Democrats Offices,
but Will Not Interfere with His Chief.
Special to the 1ndanapoI Journal
WAsHINGToN. Aug. Coon missioner Miller,
of the Internal Revenue Bureau. is at present
away a vacation, and Eb Henderson, his
deputy, is acting Commissioner. Most Of the
chiefs of divisions in that bureau still Re-
publicans, majority of all the clerks en-
ployed there. Henderson is said to desire moth
ing other than to these Republican chiefs of
divisions, and, for that matter. the Republican
clerks ALSO turned out and replaced by good
Democrats. In fact. it has been said that Hen
derson would use his temporary incumbency of
the commssorership to do what eager
Democrats claim Commissioner Miller has been
too slow to perform.
mo-" said Eb, when asked about the matter,
II do not think it would be proper for me to
take advantage of the temporary absence of the
regular head Of this Office to do what he has not
shown a disposition to do, however much
might desire to see it done / think it is for ms,
while acting Commissioner, to do only the
routine and necessary business of the Office. if
can, in the way in which I think it would have
been done by him for whom 1 acting. l
think these Offices should be given to Demo
Gratis. The fact that the Republican incum-
not sufficient reason, in my mind, for
their retention. The only good reason
would be impossibility of filling their places
with Democrats good. OF course, am
partisan in politics, if am anything. I came
from a political State, State where children
and women enter the campaigns. and where. for
several months in year. there is nothing done
but campaigning When we win fight there
expect to reap the full benefit of the victory. We
take the view of presidential election
that we take of mere local contest. The fight of
1884 was NOT all for the mere sake of having
change of Presidents. We wanted change of
administration, and the administration includes
every man employed in the federal service. So
far this bureau is concerned. collectors
and gaugers and all out door officers have
been changed; in that respect the service is now
Democratic; but headquarters. here in the
Office. Republicans are in a majority. l would
turn them all out, and I think the President
would turn them all out. OF course, if the head
of a department. or chief of bureau says he
cannot well get along without certain Republic
officials. the President is not likely to OPP
pose their retention; but it seems to me that the
President is not the cause of having Republic
ans kept in Office. 1 have every reason to be-
lieve that nothing pleases President Cleveland
more IMAM commentators LpaL SOOO Defno-
Gratis be employed in the places of Repuolie.as
however efficient the latter may have been. if
the former rises to equal standard. The
President, have DO doubt observes and exc
cutes the civil-service law in letter, and keeps
politics apart from the classified service con-
trolled by the civil-service law. L am sure it is
the fault of the heads of departments and chiefs
of bureaus, and not of the President if Republic
ans are retained.